Buenos Aires to Rio Journey

Days

17

Price from

$3,565NZD

Half Argentinian, half Brazilian, but a whole lot of amazing

Buenos Aires to Rio = a pretty freaking great trip. Try the world’s best steak in Buenos Aires, explore the cobbled streets of Colonia, chill at the beach in Montevideo, stay in an Estancia, experience paradise in Parady, snorkel, hike and sip cocktails in Ilha Grande and finish off in party-town Rio. TOLD YOU IT WAS GREAT.

Some say the tango came about when gauchos wore their smelly chaps into nightclubs. If they asked a girl to dance she held her head back to avoid the stench, with her right hand down near his pocket to let him know she expected payment for her... ahem... hospitality.

Buenos Aires to Rio Journey

Half Argentinian, half Brazilian, but a whole lot of amazing

Buenos Aires to Rio = a pretty freaking great trip. Try the world’s best steak in Buenos Aires, explore the cobbled streets of Colonia, chill at the beach in Montevideo, stay in an Estancia, experience paradise in Parady, snorkel, hike and sip cocktails in Ilha Grande and finish off in party-town Rio. TOLD YOU IT WAS GREAT.

Some say the tango came about when gauchos wore their smelly chaps into nightclubs. If they asked a girl to dance she held her head back to avoid the stench, with her right hand down near his pocket to let him know she expected payment for her... ahem... hospitality.

Why we love this trip

Harness your inner gaucho during a three-day stay at a working estancia in Uruguay. Whether it’s getting involved in daily chores around the farm, working with livestock or simply relaxing on the ranch, experience a unique way of life and Uruguayan hospitality at its best

The mighty Iguazu Falls straddles the border between Argentina and Brazil, and you’ll be able to see it from both sides

Step back in time in the traffic-free streets of colonial Paraty, where Portugal meets Brazil, jungle meets sea and relaxation meets adventure

The heaving, hedonistic metropolis of Rio de Janeiro is a great way to end the trip. Party down with the locals and experience a culture at the beating heart of Brazil

Is this trip right for you?

This trip involves some long travel days, including two overnight buses. This can be tiresome but offers a real sense of adventure. The buses are well equipped with comfortable reclining seats and on-board toilets. Snacks are provided but we recommend you also bring your own food in case you get hungry.

While at the estancia in Uruguay, you can choose to participate in the day-to day-activities of the farm as much or as little as you like. If you do choose to get involved, prepare for some early morning starts and to get your hands dirty when working directly with animals. The accommodation is multi-share and meals are served family style. Please inform your booking agent if you have any dietary requirements.

Gallery

Itinerary

Bienvenidos. Welcome to Argentina. Your adventure begins with an orientation walk around Buenos Aires’ Microcentro district at 1pm. Your leader will be waiting in the lobby of your joining point hotel. Pass by historic buildings along the Avenida de Mayo, including the Casa Rosada (Argentina's government house) and the impressive Palacio Barolo.
In the evening, attend a group welcome meeting at 6pm. Please look for a note in the hotel lobby or ask reception where it will take place. We'll be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting, so ensure you bring these details to provide to your leader. If you're going to be late, please inform hotel reception. Head out tonight and be swept away by the dance of love at an optional tango show.
There’s a lot to see if you arrive early into the city. Explore the antique markets of San Telmo or browse the museums in the well-to-do neighbourhood of Recoleta. If you’re a foodie or a wine connoisseur, take part in the Malbec Trail of Palermo or Gourmet Buenos Aires Food Urban Adventure day tour.
Notes: If you can't arrange a flight that will arrive in time, you may wish to arrive a day early so you're able to attend the welcome meeting. We'll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability).

Included Activities

Buenos Aires - Guided walking tour

Optional Activities

Buenos Aires - Tango show - ARS1200

Buenos Aires - Malbec Trail of Palermo Urban Adventure - USD100

Buenos Aires - Gourmet Food Urban Adventure - USD77

Meals Included

Today cross the Rio de la Plata (River Plate) to Colonia del Sacramento by ferry (approximately three hours). On arrival, enjoy free time to explore this charming colonial city, which is the oldest in Uruguay. The World Heritage-listed Barrio Historico is a great place to start. Stroll down the cobblestone streets and rub shoulders with locals, as they sip their yerba mate (tea). Listen to the noisy parakeets in the Plaza Mayor, or comb Colonia’s small museums. For great views over the city, climb to the top of a 19th-century lighthouse that’s still in operation.

Optional Activities

Lighthouse visit - UYU16

Meals Included

Your adventure continues with a three-hour local bus ride to Montevideo. The city is Uruguay's capital and its commercial and cultural centre, but it still retains a laidback atmosphere. On arrival take part in an optional city tour (at your own expense). If you’d prefer to explore on your own, stroll around the Ciudad Vieja (Old City) and visit the Plaza Independencia - home to the eerie underground Artigas Mausoleum. Check out the Gaucho Museum, chill out on a city beach or hang out with artists and musicians at the Mercado del Puerto.

Optional Activities

City tour - USD25

Gaucho Museum - Free

Meals Included

Today make the five-hour journey to Tacuarembo by bus. The bus has reclining seats and you'll be provided with a typical Uruguayan snack, but as the bus doesn’t stop it's also recommended that you bring your own food. From Tacuarembo it takes a further hour by truck and 4WD to the ranch, where you’ll be spending the next three nights.

Included Activities

3-night stay on a working estancia including meals and activities

Optional Activities

Horse riding - Free

Meals Included

Spend a few days experiencing the real deal of a working Uruguayan farm. Although you’re welcome to laze around and explore your surroundings, you can also fully involve yourself in day-to-day jobs around the ranch. These jobs change with the day and the season, but may include herding sheep and cows, branding cattle or injecting lambs against worms.

Don't expect luxury: things are simple down on the ranch. Accommodation is dormitory-style, hot water and electricity are only available for a couple of hours a day and chores start at 7.30 am. What you will get in return is a warm Uruguayan welcome from your hosts, some of the best home-cooked food you’ve ever tasted and the chance to experience true farm life.
On the afternoon of your seventh day, travel to Concordia in Argentina. From here take a 12-hour overnight bus to Puerto Iguazu. The bus has reclining seats and toilets and movies will be shown to keep you entertained. A simple dinner is also provided on board.

Meals Included

As soon as you arrive at Puerto Iguazu bus station this morning, take a minivan across the border into Brazil and continue onto your hotel in Foz do Iguacu. Depending on traffic, this should take about an hour. Close to the borders with Argentina and Paraguay, Foz do Iguacu is Brazil's gateway to the famous Iguazu Falls. Enjoy plenty of time over the next few days to visit the falls from both the Argentinian and Brazilian sides.

Included Activities

Iguazu Falls - Entrance and tour of the Brazilian side of the falls

Iguazu Falls - Entrance and tour of the Argentinian side of the falls

Optional Activities

Iguazu Falls Brazil - Helicopter ride - USD116

Iguazu Falls - Bird Park - USD26

Iguazu Falls - Acquamania Water Park - BRL42

Great Adventure - BRL158

Meals Included

Travel back into Argentina today to visit the falls. Following a series of boardwalks, it’s possible to get so enough to the thundering waters that you can almost touch them. At over 2 km long, Iguazu Falls are actually a series of cataracts. There are over 270 falls in total, with some reaching up to 80 metres in height. For unforgettable views, take an optional helicopter flight over the falls (at your own expense). In the afternoon return to Foz do Iguacu, where you’ll spend a second night. Depending on time, you can also visit the local bird park or the AcquaMania Water Park while you’re here.

Meals Included

Today visit Iguazu Falls from the Brazilian side. From here, panoramic views of the falls can be enjoyed. After the visit, begin the 24-hour journey to Paraty. The first leg of the trip is a 16-hour overnight bus journey from Foz do Iguacu to Sao Paulo. The bus is reasonably comfortable, with seats that recline to a more relaxed position than in a plane. These buses also usually have a toilet on board.

Meals Included

On arrival into Sao Paulo today, you may need to wait a couple of hours at the bus station until your next bus to Paraty departs. This second bus ride takes approximately six hours. World Heritage-listed Paraty is one of the world's best-preserved Portuguese colonial towns, and the ideal place to unwind after your long journey.

Optional Activities

Paraty - Boat trip - BRL40

Paraty - Trindade excursion - BRL9

Meals Included

Enjoy a free day to explore Paraty. Admire the architecture as you wander along the town’s cobbled, pedestrian-only streets, which become partly covered in seawater at high tide. You might prefer to explore the rainforest trails in the surrounding national park, which is rich in wildlife and waterfalls. Perhaps take a boat trip on the island-studded bay for scenic views along the coast or join an excursion to the nearby village of Trindade, which boasts some of Brazil’s best beaches.

Meals Included

Today, travel by local bus and ferry to the island getaway of Ilha Grande (approximately five hours). This island paradise of pristine beaches and rainforest has been largely untouched by development. There are no private cars or banks on the island, so make sure you bring cash with you. Previously a pirate's lair, a leper colony and a prison for violent criminals, the island has a fascinating history to uncover. The ruins of the prison can still be seen today.

Optional Activities

Ilha Grande - Boat trip to the Blue Lagoon - BRL70

Meals Included

Enjoy two full free days to explore Ilha Grande. Wander along rainforest trails to beautiful and remote beaches; Lopes Mendes and Aventureiro Beach are among the most scenic. Take an optional boat trip out to the Blue Lagoon, beach hopping through Ilha Grande Bay along the way. There are plenty of opportunities to stop for fresh seafood, and to swim and snorkel in the clear water. In the evening relax with a caipirinha at a restaurant or bar in Vila do Abraao, which is the island’s main town.

Meals Included

Board a boat to the small port of Mangaratiba today, and from here take a minivan to Rio de Janeiro. The total journey should take about three-and-a-half hours. The day is yours to explore. People-watch on Copacabana or Ipanema beach, take a tour of a favela or, if the time of year is right, check out a soccer game at the famous Maracana Stadium. You might like to take the tramcar up to the hillside neighbourhood of Santa Teresa or head up Corcovado Mountain, where you’ll find sweeping views over Rio from the foot of the Christ the Redeemer statue. Taking part in one of our Urban Adventure day tours, such as the Total Rio Tour, the Santa Teresa Discovery or the Corcovado, Christ Statue and Favela tour are also great ways to see this exciting city. As evening approaches, perhaps take the cable car up to Sugarloaf Mountain to watch the sunset before partying in the samba clubs of Lapa.

Meals Included

Today your South American adventure comes to an end. There are no activities planned and you’re able to depart the accommodation at any time.

Meals Included

Breakfast

Included Activities

Meals

6 breakfasts,
3 lunches,
3 dinners

Transport

Bus,
Overnight bus,
Ferry

Accommodation

Estancia (3 nights),
Hotel (11 nights),
Overnight bus (2 nights)

Included Activities

Buenos Aires - Guided walking tour

3-night stay on a working estancia including meals and activities

Iguazu Falls - Entrance and tour of the Brazilian side of the falls

Iguazu Falls - Entrance and tour of the Argentinian side of the falls

Meals

6 breakfasts,
3 lunches,
3 dinners

Transport

Bus,
Overnight bus,
Ferry

Accommodation

Estancia (3 nights),
Hotel (11 nights),
Overnight bus (2 nights)

Included Activities

Buenos Aires - Guided walking tour

3-night stay on a working estancia including meals and activities

Iguazu Falls - Entrance and tour of the Brazilian side of the falls

Iguazu Falls - Entrance and tour of the Argentinian side of the falls

Days

17

Price from

$3,565NZD

Half Argentinian, half Brazilian, but a whole lot of amazing

Buenos Aires to Rio = a pretty freaking great trip. Try the world’s best steak in Buenos Aires, explore the cobbled streets of Colonia, chill at the beach in Montevideo, stay in an Estancia, experience paradise in Parady, snorkel, hike and sip cocktails in Ilha Grande and finish off in party-town Rio. TOLD YOU IT WAS GREAT.

Some say the tango came about when gauchos wore their smelly chaps into nightclubs. If they asked a girl to dance she held her head back to avoid the stench, with her right hand down near his pocket to let him know she expected payment for her... ahem... hospitality.

Reviews

Zane Fookes

Very friendly, easy to use tour company which provides great value for money alongside invaluable knowledge and the opportunity to see both the key attractions and the less touristy experiences off the beaten track!

Matthew Sayer

This trip is a true cultural experience! From all-you-can-eat steak houses, to tropical island getaways. From herding cattle and sheep, to boat rides through waterfalls. Tips: Get to BA a couple days early to explore, ride the horses every day at the ranch, ride the boat through the falls, visit Paraguay if you can, extend your stop over in São Paulo, drink lots of caipirinhas and do absolutely everything in RJ!

Review submitted 07 Oct 2016

Buenos Aires to Rio Journey trip reviews

Our Buenos Aires to Rio Journey trips score an average of 4.75 out of 5
based on 12 reviews in the last year.

Dates & availability

Next trip departures

Jump to a departure month

Important notes

START TIME:
This trip starts with an Orientation Walk at 1pm. If you are unable to find a suitable flight it is possible to book additional nights at the joining accommodation.

FINISH TIME:
There are no activities on the final day & you are free to depart anytime.

BRAZILIAN VISA:
Please note you may require a Brazilian Visa for this trip. Processing can take around 2-5 weeks at the discretion of the embassy or consulate. Please speak with your travel agent well in advance for further advice.

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT:
A Single Supplement to have your own room is available on this trip, however excludes nights 5, 6 & 7 (Estancia stay) and 10 (Overnight bus) where you will be in shared accommodation.

Essential Trip Information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.